Hyundai Motor has launched its first electric sedan in SK to compete with Tesla.

Hyundai Motor has launched its first electric sedan, the Ioniq 6, in South Korea. The country is currently dominated by Tesla in the electric vehicle industry. Hyundai Motor seems focused on taking over Tesla. The new Ioniq has 30% more range than the previous version, around 610 kilometers (380 miles).

Image Credits: Bloomberg

The new model has two battery pack options – 77.4 kW. and 53 kW. It also has a wheelbase of 2,950 mm and a width of 1,880 mm and a length of 4,855 mm. It can be seen that the car is equipped with a 12-inch infotainment unit and has both Type-A and Type-C ports, supporting both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The launch comes after Hyundai announced plans to build EV plants at home and in the U.S. The Ioniq 5 and Kia’s EV 6 SUV together became the second-best-selling EVs behind Tesla’s cars and ahead of Ford Motor’s Mustang Mach-E. . “We’re using the same[battery]cell chemistry, but we’re increasing the number of batteries per pack, which will dramatically increase energy efficiency,” said Hyundai Executive Vice President Kim Yong-Wha.

EV goals

Hyundai Motor, its sister company Kia Corporation and premium brand Genesis in 2015. They plan to introduce more than 31 electric models by 2030 and secure 12 percent of the global EV market. The Ioniq 6 is one such car.

Hyundai’s sedan is expected to expand its EV range beyond its current crossovers and SUVs to compete with Tesla. Hyundai and Kia together accounted for 13.5 percent of EVs shipped globally in January-May of this year, after Tesla had a 22 percent share in the same period, according to industry tracker SNE Research. The data does not include China, the world’s largest auto market. The South Korean automaker plans to start production at the Asan plant by the end of the year. US sales are slated to begin early next year.

Hyundai Motor has raised its annual BEV sales target to 1.87 million units by 2030, up from the previously announced 560,000 units by 2025. The new Hyundai BEV models include three sedan models, six SUVs, one light commercial vehicle and one all-new model. This year, Hyundai will begin sales of the IONIQ 6, followed by the IONIQ 7 in 2024.

Genesis’ luxury brand, the BEV line consists of two passenger cars and four SUVs, including the electrified GV70 that debuted this year. Starting in 2025, all newly launched models from Genesis will be electric.